Possible signs of prostate cancer
Other conditions may cause the same symptoms. A doctor should be consulted if any of the following problems occur:
Include a weak flow of urine or frequent urination.
Weak or interrupted flow of urine.
Frequent urination (especially at night).
Trouble urinating.
Pain or burning during urination.
Blood in the urine or semen.
A pain in the back, hips, or pelvis that doesn't go away.
Painful ejaculation.
BRCA2 Linked to Prostate Cancer Incidence and AggressionA study by researchers in Australia and Canada shows that BRCA2 mutation-positive men from BRCA mutation-positive families are at 3.5 times the risk of developing prostate cancer, and at higher risk of aggressive prostate cancer, compared with the general population. No increase in prostate cancer risk was observed in BRCA1 mutation-positive men in this study. The report appeared in the May 15 issue of Clinical Cancer Research.The researchers examined 137 families that were known to have germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations and that also had at least one male member who was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Among these families, 158 such men were candidates for the study. Lack of available prostate biopsies limited the analysis to 18 prostate cancer patients, 4 of whom carried germline BRCA1 mutations and 14 with germline BRCA2 mutations.Loss of heterozygosity - in which one copy of a defective gene is inherited and the other copy becomes defective some time after birth, perhaps due to environmental factors - was detected in the prostate tumor tissue from 10 of the 14 BRCA2 carriers. The men whose cancers displayed loss of heterozygosity had exceptionally high Gleason scores of 7 to 9 (the median score was 9), and they had stage II or higher cancers."Although the sample size is small," the authors wrote, "these results indicate that BRCA2 has the hallmarks of a tumor suppressor and is the likely cause of the prostate cancer in a substantial portion of carriers who are diagnosed with the disease." The data add to prior information suggesting that prostate cancer may be part of the hereditary breast/ovarian cancer syndrome. The researchers added that there are no data to support a mechanism by which BRCA2 may cause prostate cancer.The authors noted that BRCA2 mutation-positive (but not BRCA1 mutation-positive) men from hereditary breast/ovarian cancer families should be considered at significantly increased risk of prostate cancer by clinicians responsible for their care. They also suggest that additional evidence is required to formulate the specific screening advice and optimal management recommendations required to reduce the burden of prostate cancer in genetically at-risk men.